Sunday, April 23 2006 13:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Will the outcome of the Assembly polls in five states adversely impact on the Congress-led UPA at the Centre?

The question has assumed importance with frequent threats from Left parties, the key outside supporters of the Congress-led coalition, and moves for formation of a Third Front after the polls in which Congress has an uphill task.

Some non-Congress parties in the UPA contend that since Congress has only 145 members while the supporting parties have some 170 MPs, they could ask the Congress to hand over the leadership of the coalition to a non-Congress leader as by that time Congress would have headed the government for full two years.

Congress leaders are not unduly worried about the post-poll scenario as they maintain that the point that prospects of the party were not that bright in the polls, especially in West Bengal and Kerala, was not a new thing and therefore the outcome would come as no surprise.

Internal surveys of the Congress have predicted a good showing in Pondicherry and emerging as the single largest party in Assam, two of the states where the party is having governments at present.

In Kerala, the party is putting up a determined fight against an upbeat Left front while in West Bengal, it has resigned itself to be the runner-up against the Marxists.

Tamil Nadu presents a different scenario altogether with the dominance of the Dravidian parties.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, whose ascendence to the top job in the Marxist hierarchy last year had created unease among the ruling circles, has already given notice that the Left would be 'aggressive' after the polls and the 'longevity' of the coalition depended upon how well it implemented the CMP.